Gibraltar

In Greek mythology Gibraltar was Calpe, one of the Pillars of Hercules, which marked the edge of the Mediterranean and the known world. In 711 Tariq ibn Ziyad, the Muslim governor of Tangier, landed at Gibraltar to launch the Islamic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. The Rock took his name, Jabal Tariq (Mountain of Tariq), which eventually became Gibraltar.

Strategically important for international shipping, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht and was formally declared a British colony in 1830. Despite it having been British longer than it was Spanish, Spain still claims sovereignty over the territory; however, Gibraltarians consider themselves British with no apparent interest in rejoining Spain: a referendum held in 2002 showed 99% of the population wished to remain British.

The topmost part of the Rock is still used as a British military installation, and is off-limits to the public.

The GibraltarPass combines most of Gibraltar's attractions and more under a one-day digital visitors' pass. Buy it online and receive a digital pass on your mobile phone. It costs £49 for over-12s and £44 for kids aged 5-11, and is valid for one calendar day (05:00-23:59); consecutive second and third day passes are available with a 10% and 15% discount, respectively. Among other things, it covers travel on either the Gibraltar Cable Car or a guided minibus tour of the Rock, plus entry to attractions such as the Gibraltar Nature Reserve (for the macaques), St Michael Cave, SkyWalk, Great Siege Tunnels, WW2 Tunnels, Moorish Castle, and Alameda Gardens. The pass also includes transport on Citibus routes 5 and 10 from the border to the city centre and cable car, as well as a wide variety of freebies and discounts at over 100 activity providers, shops and restaurants in the territory.

The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, and its transition period ended on 1 January 2021. There are plans for Gibraltar to join the Schengen Area, however this is not official yet. Although entering Gibraltar from Spain will technically invalidate a single-entry Schengen visa, in practice passports are only given a cursory check but not stamped at the land border with Spain, and people who enter and leave via the land border are usually readmitted to Spain without any problems.

If you do not need a visa to visit the United Kingdom, you may also visit Gibraltar without a visa. Additionally, you can visit Gibraltar without a visa if you are a permanent resident of the UK, if you hold a valid UK residence permit issued for at least 12 months, or if you hold a valid UK multiple-entry visa that was issued for at least 6 months. If you need a visa for Gibraltar, you can apply for one at a British diplomatic mission, but keep in mind that Gibraltar visas are separate from visas from the UK.

🌍 Gibraltar International Airport (GIB  ^IATA or North Front Airport). Has daily scheduled flights to and from London Heathrow and London Gatwick. There are also flights from Bristol, Manchester and Casablanca (via Tangier). 

The most popular alternative airport for Gibraltar is 🌍 Málaga Airport (AGP ^IATA) in Spain, 120 km to the east, which offers a wide range of destinations. Málaga can be reached by bus, but there are only a few services available per day and the trip is approximately 3 hours. 🌍 Jerez Airport (XRY ^IATA) is normally the second choice, despite being closer to Gibraltar.

Queues at the border may make it less time-consuming to park cars in the neighbouring Spanish town of La Línea de la Concepción and walk across. While there are charges for parking in La Línea immediately next to the border, there is free parking throughout town and next to the stadium if you are willing to walk an extra 1 km. Parking on the Spanish side of the border also has the advantage of avoiding Gibraltar's complex one way system with very narrow and badly signposted streets, and limited parking. The land border is open 24 hours a day. A tunnel which opened at the end of March 2023 now bypasses the crossing of the airport runway.

Motorists, and on occasion pedestrians, crossing the border with Spain have been subjected to long delays and searches by the Spanish authorities. Spain has closed the border during disputes or incidents involving the Gibraltar authorities.

Despite being an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, traffic in Gibraltar is on the right side of the road, the same with the rest of continental Europe.

At La Línea, Spain across the border, there are regular buses to and from Seville, Malaga, Cádiz, Granada and hourly to Algeciras (the latter one direct or with stops on the way). The station in La Línea is a five-minute walk from the border with Gibraltar.

The bus station in Algeciras is opposite the railway station and to get there from the harbour, turn left, walk along the main street for about 100 m and then turn right. Continue about 200 m along this street to the small building with railways. There is a small sign for the bus stop. This bus can get you to La Línea for €2.35 (January 2013), and it goes every 30 minutes during the day. Some buses run non-stop while others make intermediate calls. In La Línea you will arrive at the bus station about 500 m from the border with Gibraltar. In the summer it can take up to 2 hours to cross the border with a car.

Current info for Malaga bus station: Estación de Autobuses de Málaga

Tour buses and coaches can be available at all Andalucian major cities, holiday resorts and some mainland hotels.

There is an irregular (no more than 2 departures per month) passenger service from Tangier Med port in Morocco operated by FRS, 1:30 h, €37.50 (as of Jan 2023).

Gibraltar receives a large number of visits from cruise ships, and the strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Over 200 cruise ships call each year on the Port of Gibraltar with a passenger total approaching 350,000. The cruise port is at the western end of Waterport Road, about 1.3 km from Casemates Square and Main St. A port call is one of the easiest ways to get in to visit Gibraltar, especially given the occasional delays at the land border crossing with Spain.

There is no train station in Gibraltar. The nearest is in San Roque-La Línea, which is outside of La Línea proper and about 15 km from the Spain-Gibraltar border. Buses and taxis are available for the last leg from the train station to Gibraltar.

Gibraltar is less than 7 km² in size, so much of it can be seen on foot. Some of the roads (especially up to the Upper Rock) are very steep. Taxis will take the strain out of the climbs, and all the taxi drivers seem to know all the Barbary macaques by name. Buses can be a cheap option to expedite things.

Though Gibraltar's area is small, it is long and thin, so distances can be a bit further than expected. There are two bus companies: privately-owned Citibus which operates routes 5 and 10; and government-owned Gibraltar Bus Company which operates the rest.

Buses can be paid for in pounds or euros (pay cash onboard, Gibraltar Bus requires exact change, Citibus does not.). Bus fares are the same regardless of distance; the euro price is considerably more expensive than the prevailing exchange rate (Oct 2019). The day ticket on Citibus is valid with either bus company, but the day ticket for Gibraltar Bus is only valid with that company. The return ticket on Citibus is valid for 2 trips on the same day on that company's bus.

Bus route 2 goes by the cable car station. It is the only bus that visits Europa Point, the southernmost point in Gibraltar, and the one with the view of Africa. Buses 5 and 10 go to the airport and frontier.

Bus times are available online: Gibraltar Bus Company, Citibus.

There are a few roads in Gibraltar, mostly centred along its west coast.

Though the UK drives on the left, Gibraltar drives on the right due to its land border with Spain.

The currency of Gibraltar is the Gibraltar pound (GIP), and is equivalent in value to the British pound sterling. British pounds are accepted everywhere in Gibraltar, in addition to the local version.

Gibraltar pounds aren't accepted outside of Gibraltar, not even in the UK. If you are travelling to the UK you will be able to exchange them there at a bank for a service fee. If you are travelling on to elsewhere, then you may not be able to exchange them at all. It is best to change any leftover Gibraltar pounds before leaving; all Gibraltar banks will change Gibraltar pounds to British pounds free-of-charge, You should ask shops to give your change in UK notes if you aren't going to spend them there.

Gibraltar coins feature designs of local significance, but are otherwise identical in denomination, colour and size to sterling coins, and tend to circulate in the UK without question. They come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pence, 1, 2 and 5 Gibraltar pounds.

Gibraltar banknotes depict landmarks found throughout the territory, and are issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 Gibraltar pounds.

Most shops in Gibraltar will also accept euros and U.S. dollars, with the risk of getting a poor rate of exchange. Government offices and post offices do not accept foreign currency.

Credit and debit cards are sometimes not accepted in some shops and, especially, restaurants.

🌍 Morrisons, Westside Road, Europort, ☏ +350-20041114. M-Sa 08:00-22:00, Su 08:00-20:00. Large supermarket, selection seems to be the same as in the UK 

There are a number of kosher restaurants, bakeries and minimarkets in Gibraltar.

• 🌍 Emile Youth Hostel, Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Rd (just off Casemates Square), ☏ +350 51106, +350 57686000, fax: +350 51106, emilehostel@yahoo.co.uk. Check-out: 10:30. A family-run hostel. Not the best, but closest thing to the border. They charge £5 for washing clothes and £5 for the wireless internet. You are not allowed to bring your own food into the hostel although they have their own café. Whilst relatively expensive, it's a quiet place near the border. Rates from £18 for a bed in a dorm, £25 for a single room. Cash only. 

• 🌍 The Bristol Hotel, 8-10 Cathedral Square (Near the south end of Main Street), ☏ +350 20076800, reservations@bristolhotel.gi. Rooms from £69. 

• 🌍 The Elliot Hotel (O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel), 2 Governor's Parade (just off Main Street, roughly half-way between the Cannon and the Queens), ☏ +350 20070500, info@ocallaghancollection.com. Good location and good quality. (updated Apr 2020)
• 🌍 The Rock Hotel, 3 Europa Rd (about 400 m south of the entrance to Main Street, up a fairly steep hill), ☏ +350 20073000, +350 20073513, reservations@rockhotel.gi. Not as central as some of the others mentioned here, but has great views of the bay. It's one of the more expensive hotels in Gibraltar and was where John Lennon and Yoko Ono got married. All rooms have a sea view. Rooms from £105 off-season, from £135 in summer. 

Gibraltar's international telephone code is +350. All landline numbers in Gibraltar have 8 digits.

The prefix to dial prior to country code for international calls is 00 in Gibraltar.

Free wireless is available in the following places:

• Fresh - a cafe/bar just down through the archway when leaving the main square towards the bus stops.
• The Gibraltar Arms - about half way down the main street.
• The Lord Nelson - just by the tunnel exiting the main square.
• The Cannon Bar - behind the Catholic Cathedral.
• The Clipper - on Irish Town near Tuckey's lane.
• Corks Wine Bar - on Irish Town near the Clipper.
• The Horseshoe - on Main Street near the Gibraltar Museum & King Street.

The Barbary macaques are wild animals and do bite. It is not advisable to feed them, despite encouragement from irresponsible taxi drivers. In addition, there are kiosks irresponsibly selling 'monkey food', further encouraging this: it is illegal, can incur hefty fines and is bad for their health. Never try to pick up a baby macaque: its mother will not be happy and then neither will you. If you are bitten by a macaque, you will require hospital treatment. Whilst the macaques are rabies-free, they can infect you with hepatitis, and they are most aggressive on the top of the rock, as the most successful animals claim the uppermost reaches of the rock, with their less successful brethren being forced down the rock in their social pecking order.

Gibraltar is part of the European Health Insurance Scheme and has a health service similar to the United Kingdom, with a modern hospital. If you are from a participating country, your EHIC card will entitle you to full free emergency medical treatment.

• Belgium, 47 Irish Town, P.O. Box 185, ☏ +350 2007 8352, fax: +350 2007 8646. 
• Denmark, Cloister Building, Market Lane, P.O. Box 554, ☏ +350 2001 2700, fax: +350 2007 1608, consul@danconsul.gi. M-F 09:00-13:00 and 15:00-17:00. 
• Finland, 20 Line Wall Road, P.O. Box 130, ☏ +350 2007 5149, fax: +350 2007 0513. 
• France, 209 Main Street, ☏ +350 2007 8830, fax: +350 2007 5867. 
• Greece, Suite 1C, Imossi House, 1/5 Irish Town, P.O. Box 167, ☏ +350 2007 3500, fax: +350 2007 3550. 
• Iceland, 316 Ocean Hights, ☏ +350 5434 2000, fax: +350 2004 6857, anne.lundin@danish-alteriors.com. 
• Israel, Marina View, 39 Glacis Road, P.O. Box 238, ☏ +350 2007 7735, fax: +350 2007 4301. 
• Italy, 28 Irish Town, ☏ +350 2004 7096, fax: +350 2004 5591, italy@gibraltar.gi. 
• Malta, 20 Admirals Place, Naval Hospital Hill, ☏ +350 5733 9000, maltaconsulgibraltar@gov.mt. 
• Netherlands, Irish House, 92 Irish Town, ☏ +34 633 893 332, consul.netherlands@gibtelcom.net. 
• Norway, Sandpits Vaults, Off Rosia Road, P.O. Box 133, ☏ +350 2007 7242, fax: +350 2007 7342. M-F 09:00-17:00. 
• Poland, 35 Governor's Parade, ☏ +350 2007 4593, fax: +350 2007 9491. 
• Sweden, Cloister Building, Irish Town, P.O. Box 212, ☏ +350 2007 9200, fax: +350 2007 6189, consulgeneral@swedishconsulategibraltar.com. M-F 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-16:30. 
• Switzerland, Suite 206, Neptune House, Marine Bay, ☏ +350 2005 1051, fax: +350 2004 5450, gibraltar@honrep.ch. 
• Thailand, 120 Main Street, ☏ +350 2007 7890. 
• United Kingdom, ☏ +350 200 51725. Consular assistance for British nationals is provided by HM Government of Gibraltar Civil Status and Registration Office.